berserkfandomcom-20200222-history
Skull Knight
|romaji name = Dokuro no Kishi |kanji name = 髑髏の騎士 |english name = Skull Knight |gender = Male |affiliation = |status = Alive |occupation = |relatives = N/A |manga debut = Chapter 37 |anime debut = Golden Age Arc III: Descent }} Skull Knight is an enigmatic figure who fights against evil. He appears to have vast knowledge of events surrounding the Berserk universe and seems to be able to predict fate's next move. He saved Guts several times over the course of the journey and also seemed to manipulate events around Guts for his own purpose of revenge. He has known, and apparently had a close relationship with, the witch Flora for at least several hundred years and was also one of the previous owners of Berserker Armour. Flora and the Skull Knight both acknowledge Void's existence, but the exact history of their relationship remains ambiguous. Appearance He is a large skeleton figure with yellow eyes and spikes coming from his shoulders and head. He also wears a gray cape which covers his shoulders. Gallery Personality The Skull Knight is an enigmatic figure who fights against evil. He is shown to care for others, as he has saved Guts several times. He is also shown to have a close relationship with Flora the witch as he met her often and Flora always looked at the Berserk Armour with tenderness. He has also rescued Rickert from the apostles and Luca from the egg shaped apostle. Abilities and Powers The most particular attribute of the Skull Knight is his fighting ability: he is able to kill Apostles with ease and can even overpower Zodd in the latter's Apostle form, though with great difficulty. He states that the area outside the chosen place for the Eclipse is "just as good as any to wield my (the Skull Knight's) sword", indicating his adaptation to different environments. It can be believed that the Skull Knight has met the prerequisite of interacting with over 1000 different beings of the Astral World, given that Void found it necessary to defend himself with a dimensional hole to send the Knight's sword back at him, though actual evidence of such a claim has yet to be revealed. It can also be assumed that the Skull Knight is also immortal or at least immune to the effects of ageing and disease. It has been heavily implied and substantiated that he has existed for at least 1000 years as Zodd, who is over 300 years old, has remarked about his origins when battling him as the Eclipse occurred. What has been clear is that he was once human but is one no longer. What he is has yet to be stated but assumptions can be made that he is a form of astral being and is not restricted by the same rules and limitations as people of the physical reality. Various characters also remarked that his presence had a surreal feel to it, and Puck noted to himself that he "kind of felt like an elf." *'Sword of Thorns:' the Skull Knight's basic sword, which is kept in a sheathe attached to his shield. The blade of the sword extends out of a rose decoration at the center of the curving thorns. There are also thorns on the handle, injuring anybody who attempts to use it without an armoured hand. It is also implied that the sword may be sentient, as the sword told its wielder that it wasn't yet time to kill the Apostle-Behelit. *'Sword of Resonance:' the Skull Knight swallows the Behlits he recovers from slain Apostles, apparently destroying and reforming them as the Sword of Resonance by letting the Sword of Thorns' blade pass down his throat (much like a sword-swallowing trick). The Sword has been shown to cleave open holes through space and time, and such ability allows him to appear in places simply by willing it when he slices space. It's still a mystery if he can revert it back. In Chapter 238, it is confirmed that he can change it back as he used his normal sword to fight the apostles and Zodd since he used the Sword of Resonance 2 chapters ago. *'Skull Armour:' in addition to serving as the Skull Knight's protection, it also serves as a makeshift supply of throwing knives, as seen when the Skull Knight breaks off a protrusion from the Armour and throws it to release Slan's grip on one of Guts' arms in the Qliphoth. *'Inner Beast:' The Skull Knight was a former user of the Berserker Armour; the Armour he used retains the shape of a skull. This implies that just as Guts has a Hellhound for an inner beast, the Skull Knight holds an inner beast that takes the form of a human skeleton. *'Horse:' the Skull Knight's horse appears to be able to fly and jump upon trees and travel fast as the wind, implying that just as the Skull Knight is not a normal human, the horse is not a normal horse. History Griffith's Imprisonment The Skull Knight first appears to warn Guts about the Band of the Hawk's impending demise following his leave. He called Guts a "Struggler" against fate before disappearing elsewhere. (Chapter 37) Shortly before the Eclipse, the Skull Knight appears again to protect Rickert from the Count and Rosine, who both leave upon seeing his presence. (Chapter 52) Eclipse The Skull Knight first battles with Nosferatu Zodd, who guards the outside of the gate in order to fight against his adversary again. After defeating Zodd, he rushes into the ceremony, smashing through the portal and interrupting the ceremony in the process. He immediately attempts to attack Void, with little success, as Void projects an alternate dimension to send the Knight's incoming sword back out in a mirror effect. The Skull Knight then blocks the attack with his shield and exchanges glances with Void for a moment before going to save Guts and Casca from further harm. The Skull Knight then makes short work of many Apostles in mere seconds and dodges Femto's Apostle implosion attack with ease before heading straight out of the window he came in. As Rickert heals Guts and Casca with the elf dust that Puck gave him, Zodd allows the Skull Knight to take Guts and Casca, as a mark of respect for being defeated in battle. The Skull Knight then transports the three humans to Godo's cottage, and four days later, shows Guts the demonic world he will be living in, allowing him to borrow his sword to defeat the ghosts attacking him. He finally explains Casca's early childbirth and the characteristics of the Demon Child before leaving. Retribution Arc The Skull Knight only appears in Misty Valley to swallow Rosine's Behelit. Tower of Conviction He appears later near St. Albion to warn Guts of the Incarnation Ceremony and tell him of the God Hand's and abilities, stating that he can either choose to kill Griffith or save Casca, but cannot do both. At St. Albion, he chases down the Egg-Shaped Apostle and rescues Luca from its lair. Millennium Falcon Arc The Skull Knight enters the Qliphoth to confront Slan and to assist Guts. Similarly to the Eclipse, he easily takes down the Ogres attacking him, distracting Slan long enough for Guts to attack her with his arm cannon and later with the Dragon Slayer. When the Qliphoth collapses, the Skull Knight uses his Sword of Resonance to escape with Guts in tow. The Skull Knight confronts Flora about the serious consequences of giving Guts the Berserker Armor, hearing Flora's assent that it must be so. As Griffith's Apostle army comes to burn down Flora's home, the Skull Knight engages the Apostles and Zodd, after telling Flora that if she dies it should be peaceful, again before witnessing Guts' first use of the Berserker Armor against a transformed Grunbeld. When questioned by Zodd, who recognize the armor after look at it with surprise and fear, on why would he give Guts the armor, but the Skull Knight give no answer and the both stop their fighting to watch Guts and Grunbeld. The Skull Knight appears in front of Guts' party at the beach, warning him that what he wants may not be what Casca wants. World Transformation Skull Knight appears with his Sword of Resonance and slashes at Femto to stop the transformed Ganishka. Femto manipulates the slash to hit Ganishka instead, triggering a light that covers the world and causes the astral realm to collide with the physical realm, allowing many astral beasts to enter the physical realm and Griffith's castle to appear underneath the deceased Ganishka's body. Trivia *In Berserk: Millennium Falcon Hen Seima Senki no Shō, he is voiced by Tsutomu Isobe. *In the Berserk Movie Trilogy he is voiced by Akio Ohtsuka. *The Skull Knight said that he is also on the edge just like Guts and Flora said that Guts carry the Skull Knight curse thus it can be assume that the Skull Knight was branded long ago. The fact that he seem to be targeting Void the most out of all the member of the God Hand members it can be assume that he is the one who branded him. Skull Knight Category:Swordsmen